What does it take to be the most successful Dutch punk band ever? A couple of years ago the answer would´ve been: 5000 albums sold worldwide, a two album deal with Black Sausage Records in the US and a raving review in MaximumRockNRoll. But that was before the Heideroosjes came along and changed everything.
Punk was never big in Holland. Even in the seventies, when safety pins and roadsign-sized buttons were all the craze, no band ever made it past the social security office. But twenty years after the first wave of pissed off loudmouth bands, four boys from the south of Holland changed all the rules: they sold hundreds of thousands records, had hit singles, played sold out tours, and were the subject of a best-selling book. All that without a proper record deal.
The genesis of the Heideroosjes is a classic rock `n´ roll story: four teenagers, getting together in a barn to exorcise the boredom with loud, fucked up music, that scared away the cows, and made the neigbours complain. In the small rural town where they lived and went to school, they were considered outsiders (of course they´re local heroes now). They looked funny, acted funny and dug records no-one else in the local youth club wanted to hear. The Heideroosjes were not cool.
When they started gigging they soon found out that most of the other punk bands had the same view as the kids back home: the Heideroosjes weren´t up to date with the latest punk rock fashion, they didn´t take classes in Hardcore College. Plus: they came from the South, which -in the eyes of most big city scenesters- didn´t add to their credibility. But while the Heideroosjes were being snubbed by the Punk Rock Police, they struck a nerve with kids all over the country. The crowds that came to their shows could relate to every word singer Marco screamed into the mic. No poses, no frills, just straight from the heart rock `n´roll. The Heideroosjes were for real.
Their first self-produced, admittedly shambling albums sold by the bucket load. By word of mouth only. They sold out clubs everywhere they went. And by the time the media finally noticed the band, they landed themselves a spot on the prestigious Pinkpop festival. It proved to be their break through performance. From that moment on their trademark red T-shirts dominated all festival fields. They toured with with Bad Religion, Pennywise and The Offspring, prompting Offspring guitarist Noodles to write in his tour diary: " "I have a new favourite band, The Heideroosjes. Imagine the energy and level of NOFX, and multiply it with Rage Against the Machine. These guys rock and make me feel old."
Two years ago they signed the dotted line with Epitaph. The first offering on their new label was a re-recorded collection of old songs, as an introduction to the world. Then came Schizo, the first proper Epitaph album. The Schizo song Jerry Rules, a frontal assault on the stupefication of the world, was played on the Jerry Springer show, making sure millions of Americans got the message.
And now the band is ready to unleash their new record: Fast Forward. Produced by veteran knob twiddler Oscar Holleman, the album is the most diverse in the career of the Heideroosjes. The album opens with a short sharp blast of good ole speed metal, dips in to Pogues-influenced folk, and returns to the shout-a-long punk rock that made em famous in the first place.
And now you probably want to know what the name Heideroosjes means. It means... oh fuck it, go find a dictionary!
PUNK-O-GRAPHY: Noisy Fairytales ('92) Fairytale Records Choice for a lost generation ('94) Fairytale Records Fifi ('96) Fairytale Records / PIAS Kung Fu ('97) Fairytale Records / PIAS Smile….you're dying! ('98) (verzamel) EPITAPH Schizo ('99) EPITAPH Fast Forward ('01) EPITAPH
VIDEOGRAFIE Break the public peace ('98) Billy Broke A Bottle (again '01)
HEIDEROOSJES IS: Frank Kleuskens : gitaar Marco Roelofs : zang Fred Houben : bass Igor Hobus : drums
Source: http://www.expliszmusic.de/ransberg/bands/heideroosjes.html
